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YSU renovations likely to begin in May
Photo
Youngstown State University student Sara Weigel of Poland takes notes during a class in a lecture hall/auditorium inside DeBartolo Hall on campus. Auditoriums inside DeBartolo, Cushwa and Ward- Beecher halls are being updated starting next month.
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
Work to renovate three auditoriums at Youngstown State University is set to begin next month.
The auditoriums house classes in Cushwa, DeBartolo and Ward-Beecher halls.
Richard White, associate director of planning and construction at YSU, said work includes replacement of the flooring, walls, ceiling, lighting and seating in the buildings. Updated technology also will be added.
“Basically we want to make these auditoriums look like the auditorium in the new [Williamson] College of Business,” he said.
Bids for the project are due May 3 and the project is expected to begin in mid-May.
“They’re 30-plus years old and basically nothing has been done,” White said, referring to the auditoriums in DeBartolo and Cushwa.
Ward-Beecher’s auditorium was renovated about 10 years ago.
About $2.5 million has been allocated for the work.
Last year, President Cynthia Anderson decided to delay work to update Kilcawley Center after bids came back higher than expected.
She opted to instead use the money for academic spaces.
“In this time of scarce resources, it is imperative that we direct our attention and funding to areas that are most critical to the academic excellence of the institution and the success of our students,” Anderson said at the time. “Therefore, we are re-directing our efforts to ensure that the university’s academic buildings provide the highest quality learning environment possible.”
DeBartolo Hall opened in 1978 and houses the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Cushwa Hall opened in 1976 and houses the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services.
The third building tapped for improvements is Bliss Hall, which opened in 1977 and is home to the College of Fine and Performing Arts. Specific projects haven’t been determined for Bliss, but White expects that phase of the project to occur next near.
He said the renovation is to update the spaces.
“They’re not in disrepair or damaged,” White said. “It’s just the original carpeting, seating and lighting. It was designed in the 1970s. Essentially, we’re trying to up them up to the 21st century. The yardstick now is the college of business. We’d like to bring that same feel through the rest of the buildings.”
Crews will begin work after classes end for the summer and it’s expected to be done before classes resume in the fall.